Learning at Mandama

Literacy:

At Mandama Primary School the daily literacy block consists of a minimum of two hours of Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening. All students are catered for with an innovative program that extends and supports each student at their point of need. Literacy teaching extends to all other areas of the curriculum through the explicit teaching and understanding of topic specific vocabulary, grammar and spelling.

Reading –

Daily Independent reading that encompasses conferencing with students to conduct assessment and set individual goals.

Whole class reading of a shared text to teach and model a pre-determined reading strategy with learning intentions explicitly stated and displayed.

Small group work including Guided Reading, Strategy Groups, Reciprocal Reading and Literature Circles to work on reading strategies.

Independent and shared learning tasks completed when the teacher is working with small focus groups or when conducting conferences.

Reflection time to share and think about the learning that has occurred and how it helps us as readers.

Spelling & Grammar –

Whole class and small group investigations and consolidation tasks to form generalisations about spelling patterns and grammatical rules.

Stand alone mini-lessons as required

Reflection and articulation of problem solving strategies.

Speaking & Listening –

Students engage in regular oral language activities which promote shared turn taking, listening respectfully to others and build confidence to speak before an audience.

One BIG TALK Homework task per week which precedes BIG WRITING. Students take home a topic to discuss with their family, build up their vocabulary and return the next day to participate in a BIG TALK session before beginning their BIG WRITING. This equips the students with the confidence to express their ideas and opinions with their peers.

Mandama aims to promote a positive attitude towards literacy where the students
develop the ability to confidently read, write and converse.